On my recent Road Trip to the Mid-Atlantic, we tried crab cakes in three different states and five different cities, forging our own “Crab Cake Trail.” The road led us to the Mecca of all Crab Cakes, in Baltimore, Maryland and that was Faidley’s. It’s been written up and won more awards that I can count and, most of all, Connie from Maryland assured us that these were the best Crab Cakes around.
Zeke surprised me last weekend in the Keys by getting the recipe for Faidley’s World Famous Crab Cakes and making them for me for dinner Saturday night. He bought the Jumbo Lump Crab meat at Publix; it comes in a plastic container. Faidley’s serves their crab cakes with a little salad (although they also have other sides) but I really loved the way the crab cake I had in Annapolis was served at Preserve. It was atop sautéed corn, cherry tomatoes, basil and basil oil- so summery! I attempted to make that as the side for our crab cakes; when you lay the crab cakes on top, it’s a totally smashing entree.
These crab cakes aren’t hard to make, but you do need to factor in the one hour they need to sit in the fridge before you cook them. Also, although the recipe calls for saltines, if you only had Ritz or Club Crackers, they would work fine and I might also advise a little brushing of melted butter on top if you choose to broil them. While Faidley’s Crab Cakes are fried, if you broil them, the butter adds a little richness to gild the lily.
Faidley’s World Famous Crab Cakes recipe by Bliss
- 1 lb large lump crabmeat, picked over
- 1 cup crushed saltines
- 1/2 cup good mayo
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Dash of Tabasco
Directions
Spread the crab meat out on a flat pan and sprinkle crushed saltines over the top.
In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Pour the mayo mixture over the crab meat and gently toss or fold the ingredients together, making sure not to break the delicate crab meat.
Let the mixture sit for 2 to 3 minutes before forming the cakes.
Form the cakes by hand or with an ice cream scoop into 8 mounds about 3″ in diameter and 3/4″ thick. Do NOT pack the mixture too firmly. The cakes should be as loose as possible, yet still hold their shape. Place the crab cakes on a tray or platter lined with wax paper, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
To fry: Pour oil into a heavy skillet to a depth of about 1 1/2″. Heat oil and fry crab cakes, a few at a time, until golden brown on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon onto paper towel to drain.
To broil: Slip crab cakes under a preheated broiler until nicely browned, turning to cook evenly, 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
Serve at once with tartar sauce on the side.
Serves 4.
So, if you want to enjoy these last days of Summer (Fall officially begins September 22nd!), try these World Famous Crab Cakes for the ultimate Summer Feast.
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